Courting Clarke
by ASociallyAwkwardDuckling
Summary: Lexa tries to decipher the complexities of the Skaikru Courting Ritirals.
1. The Thought That Counts

Peace. That's what had descended upon the two people with the end of the Mountain men. The Grounders and Sky People had come to live in a time of peace. A time in which Sky people and Grounders could co-exist. Lexa had taken to spending more time in the sky peoples "Camp Jeha" then at her own ground camp. She gazed across the camp at all the sky people some of them working, others talking or simply hanging out.

Lexa found her gaze drawn to the Sky person known as Jasper. He stood before one of mountain women who had been saved looking somewhat flustered as he held something behind his back. Suddenly he held out a bunch of flowers and muttered something. The girl who was standing in front of him smiled broadly and took the flowers from him saying something that made him look away and scratch the back of his head. Lexa watch as the girl smelled the flowers before looking to Jasper and said something before placing a kiss on his cheek. Jaspers cheeks flushed and he smiled. The girl said something before turning on her heel and walking away.

Lexa was intrigued. How could something as commonplace as flowers, which you could find anywhere on the ground, get you the affections of another? She needed to know. Lexa stood up and quickly made her way over to where Jasper was still standing smiling like an idiot. Lexa walked up behind him and clapped her hand on his shoulder causing him to jump. He spun around and let out a yelp of panic when he saw Lexa. He swallowed and muttered, "C-commander, What are you doing here?" Lexa cocked her eyebrow and said, "I spend most of my days here." Jasper shook his head and said, "I mean what are you doing here, in front of me?"

Lexa lowered her brows and said, "I require your assistance Jasper of the Sky People." Jasper swallowed again said, "For what, exactly?" Jasper hoped it wasn't something dangerous. He just wanted to go find Monty or Maya or someone else other than Lexa. Lexa looked back and forth as if check to see if anyone was listening and then leaned said in a harsh whisper, "I require you to explain something to me Jasper of the Sky People" Jasper cocked his eyebrow and said, "What do you need me to explain exactly?"

Lexa closed her eyes before opening them and saying, "I require you to explain what you did with that mountain woman?" Jasper furrowed his brows and said, "You mean Maya? What about what I did with her?" Lexa pulled her hand from his shoulder and said, "You gave her flowers, which you can find anywhere, and she loved them. How did you do it?"

Jasper scratched his cheek and sighed. How did he explain this to her? He eventually decided to just be Frank. "Well Maya's never been outside before. So shes never seen flowers and thats why she loved them. But really its the thought that counts. If you see something and you think of the person you love then when you give it to them it means so much more. Understand?" Lexa rubbed her chin and said, "So this is some kind of Skaikru courting ritual and it works as long as I think of the other person." Jasper closed his eyes, sighed and said, "Well thats not entirely wrong but…" He opened his eyes only to find that Lexa was no longer standing in front of him and instead Monty stood them chewing on some Berries and saying, "Who are you talking too?" Jasper shook his head and mumbled, "No one."

Lexa, who had made her way out of the camp, was currently running through the forest. She had overheard that Clarke was out sketching stuff. Lexa made her way to a flower field that she knew would have beautiful flowers. She made it and walked through the field. Lexa leaned down and picked a multitude of different flowers. They were all beautiful but none of them were as beautiful as Clarke. Lexa then turned around quickly making her way toward where she knew Clarke enjoyed to draw.

Lexa stopped just short of the small clearing where Clarke was sitting on a rock a book in her lap and a pencil in her hand. Lexa placed the flowers behind her back and entered the cleaning saying, "Hello, Clarke." Clarke looked up and said, "Lexa, What are you doing here?" Lexa walked closer before saying, "Nothing in particular." Clarke closed her book and placed it next to her saying, "Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to take a seat?" Lexa moved closer until she was standing in front of Clarke she gestured with her free hand and said, "Stand up, Clarke." Clarke cocked her eyebrow and said, "Why?" Lexa shook her head and said, "Just do it." Clarke shrugged and stood up. Lexa stepped away and held out the flowers clearing her throat before saying, "I saw these and thought of you."

Clarke looked at the flowers with a hint of confusion. Clarke started at the flowers and said, "What are you doing with those flowers?" Lexa, still holding out the flowers, dropped her arm slightly and said, "I was participating in one of your Skaikru courting rituals. You give the one you like flowers in order to win their affections. Did it not work?" The dejected look on Lexa's face as she hung her head cause Clarke to smile.

Clarke found herself unable to contain her laughter and soon she was covering her mouth trying to keep the laughter inside. Lexa looked up, an embarrassed flush on her face as she yelled, "What!? Why are you laughing!?" Clarke managed to contain her laughter as she said, "You're adorable, Lexa." The flush deepened and Lexa yelled, "I am not Adorable! I am Ferocious!" Clarke smiled and reached for the flowers saying, "Sure, you are." She took the flower from Lexa and brought them to her nose taking a deep breath before saying, "I love the flowers."

Clarke then leaned up and pressed her lips against Lexa's cheek. As she pulled away she muttered, "Don't worry it worked. You've won my affections." Lexa watched Clarke gather her book and pencil and leave the clearing. Lexa stood there amazed at how well that had worked. Perhaps the Skaikru courting rituals weren't as stupid as she had originally thought. Perhaps it really was the thought the counts.


	2. Made by Hand

Lexa sat on a log in the forest a large piece of wood in one hand and a knife in the other. She poised the knife over the piece of wood before pushing it forward. She continued this action over and over until the rough bark gave way to the smooth underwood.

Lexa placed the knife near the middle and paused. She flexed her fingers and glanced over at the pile of discarded hunks of wood that littered her feet. All in varying degrees of completion. She looked back at the one in her hand and tightened her grasp saying, "This time. This time I'll get it right."

Hours passed with only the sound of a knife scraping against a piece of wood and the occasional nature noise to keep her company. Eventually the wood had gotten to the point that it was a little smaller than her fist and Lexa nodded as she began cutting out chunks from the wood. Lexa stopped and spun the piece around taking out chunks one after another.

Suddenly Lexa stopped and said, "It's perfect. It just needs..." She placed her knife near one of the points and began chipping away. Eventually she made a hole and pulled a piece of cloth form a pouch of her waist. She stung it through hole and held up her masterpiece. It was a multi-pointed star. It's points varied in size and it looked like an explosion. It hung from the red cloth and Lexa couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips. She stuffed the necklace in her waist pouch and stood up.

She looked up at the sky to see that the sun was high in the sky meaning that it was about lunch time and that Clarke would be at the river eating lunch and sketching. Lexa ran through the forest as fast as she could trying to make it the river before Clarke finished her food. She arrived at the forest's edge. She walked along the tree-line trying to catch her breath and running a hand quickly through her hair.

Lexa came upon the area that Clarke was at and jogged up saying, "Clarke!" The blonde sky person spun around and said, "I thought you might not make it, Lexa!" The sound of her name on Clarke's lips always brought a smile to her lips. She came to a stop a few feet away from Clarke and said, "I wouldn't miss our time together for anything." Clarke smiled and said, "Have a seat. I saved some food for you."

Lexa nodded and took a seat next to Clarke. A comfortable silence as Lexa ate and Clarke continued to sketch. Lexa finished the sandwich she had been eating and reached into the pouch feeling the rough surface of the star. She turned to Clarke and said, "Close your eyes." Clarke looked at Lexa in confusion and said, "Why?" Lexa simply shook her head and said, "Just do it. For me."

Clarke shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes. Lexa pulled out the necklace saying, "No peeking until I say so." Clarke nodded and said, "Yes, _Commander_." Lexa smiled at the teasing tone to Clarke's voice. She took a deep breath and brought the necklace over Clarke's head. She let it come to rest against her chest and quickly tied the ends together. Lexa nodded and said, "Okay. You can open them."

Clarke opened her eyes and was speechless. She picked up the star in her hand and turned it over several times before saying, "Where did you get this?" Lexa smiled and said, "I made it. It's supposed to be a star. Do you like-" The commander was cut off by a pair of lips crashing against her own. She fell back with Clarke on top of her. Clarke pulled away and said, "I love it."


End file.
